Baycrest Centre - Baycrest

Defy Dementia Episode 17: Music, Memories and the Mind

In this episode of Defy Dementia, explore the beneficial effects of music on the brain – whether you’re playing music yourself or listening to it. Hear David Chase’s inspiring story of caring for his wife Rena following her Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and how music remained an important source of connection and comfort as her condition progressed. Then, discover the science behind music’s ability to enhance memory and cognitive health with expert guests Dr. Debra Sheets (University of Victoria) and Dr. Julene K. Johnson (University of California, San Francisco). Don’t miss this episode to learn how music can enrich the mind at every stage of life.

Episode 17: Transcript

Key takeaways

No matter your age, your brain can benefit from music.
There is growing evidence that music may slow cognitive decline and reduce your dementia risk.
Singing and playing an instrument are great, but even just listening to music benefits your brain.
Music can evoke memories, stimulate emotions and help you get your body moving.
Not musical? Don’t be so sure.

Key actions

Add more music to your life every day.
Share music with others to increase social connection.
Engage with music during every step in your dementia journey.
Create a playlist for life with family and friends.

Resources

Music Therapy at Baycrest
Voices in motion choir – from Voices in Motion
Personalized music for people living with dementia: Music project – from Alzheimer’s Society
Music and memories: The iPod program – from Alzheimer’s Society
Music helps patients with dementia connect with loved ones – from Northwestern University
In conversation: Investigating the power of music for dementia – from Medical News Today
Music as medicine for Alzheimer's disease and dementia – from Northwestern Medicine
Music and dementia – from Dementia UK

Learn more about our guests

David Chase, 78, is a retired teacher from British Columbia. He and his wife Rena married in 1966 and were together for almost 58 years. They had four children. At age 72, Rena was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and over the next six years Dave was her caregiver. Prior to the diagnosis, music had always been a big part of their lives. Following Rena’s diagnosis, they sought out local choirs as a healthy, social activity, and then Rena found out about a project at the University of Victoria called Voices in Motion. They both joined the choir, finding a welcoming, collaborative environment. They took part in rehearsals and performances. After Rena’s health deteriorated, Dave says her music persisted as other things fell away. Rena passed away on January 20, 2024. Dave continues to sing with the choir.

Dr. Debra Sheets is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Nursing and a research affiliate with the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria. She received her doctorate in Gerontology and Public Policy from the University of Southern California. Dr. Sheets is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Canadian Academy of Nursing, the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. She is the founder of four community-based, intergenerational initiatives (Voices in Motion choir, Memory Cafe, Minds on the Go, Momentia Victoria) in Victoria, British Columbia, aimed at making the arts more accessible to persons living with dementia and their care partners. She is the host of Call to Mind, a four-part podcast series created during the pandemic that aims to share intimate stories about the challenges and rewards of caregiving and finding joy by living in the present.

Dr. Julene K. Johnson is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Institute for Health & Aging. She is Co-Director of the Sound Health Network, which is a partnership between UCSF and the National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the Kennedy Center and soprano Renée Fleming. The Sound Health Network promotes research and public awareness about the impact of music on health and wellness. Dr. Johnson is also the head of the Music and Dementia Research Network, where she curates the efforts of scientists who are looking for hard evidence on how music impacts the brains of people living with dementia. She obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas and completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, Irvine's Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, now called the MIND Institute. Her undergraduate degree is in music. Julene is a lifelong flutist.